NE-FL D-STAR System

The Journal of the North East Florida D-Star Repeater Network

Archive for category ARES Events

DSTAR Demo at Philippine National Hamfest

May 3

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, Contesting, D-Star Repeaters, D-Star Users, Dongles and DVAPs, Hamfests | No Comments

 

This coming weekend (May 4-5) will be the Philippine National Hamfest, where amateurs from across the country converge for technical discussions, a bit of operating and the ability to eye-ball-QSO with long-time and new friends. This will be my first time at this event, which is being held at Olongapo City, near the old Subic Bay Naval Base which was maintained by the US Navy for over 25 years. I’ll arrive a day early to escape the heat of the Metro area (the venue is about 3 hours by bus from Manila) – and be taking my Elecraft K2 along with the BuddiStick Deluxe and the AlexLoop antenna for some casual operating.

..
While the Philippines is generally a less economically developed country than the US or the EU, it is not without it’s share of honorable mentions – in this country of almost 92-million (most below the poverty line), Philippine hams are one of the most active in emergency services – primarily due to significant weather events that regularly visit this country. Philippine hams are also very active in DX’ing, with a solid hand-full who are currently on the Honor Role. The more affluent hams have antenna farms that would rival any multi-multi stations in the states.

..
I was blown away yesterday morning when I joined the DU-Traffic Net (at 07:00 and again at 19:00 on 7.095 LSB) – sitting and listening while Net Control (Ali – 4F1AR) called the net with a broadcaster’s voice, greeting each person by name in English and Tagalog – by my count, there were over 30 check-ins on the net. My small-signal (QRP on a EFHW) was heard, but just barely, but even so – Ali spent the time to inquire about my name, location and greeted me with very typical Filipino warmth.

..
There has been talk of a DSTAR repeater here in the Philippines – probably on one of the mountain tops that overlooks the city of Manila and surrounds – typically with about 75-miles radius coverage. In light of that, I will be giving an impromptu DSTAR demo at the Hamfest, using my DVAP and IC-92AD. Assuming the internet connection holds-up, I’ll try to do it from either the meeting room, or one of the recreation venues.

..
Tentative schedule for the demo will be on Friday evening and Saturday morning locally (in Manila) – which would translate to FRIDAY morning and evening Eastern  - targeting for 08:00-10:00 and 20:00-22:00 EASTERN TIME on Friday, 4-May.

..
If all goes as planned – and the internet connection is sufficient – I will connect to REF034C for both demo sessions. It would be greatly appreciated (and most helpful) if a number of you could be available during the above timeslots to join in the demo. It’s always more impactful when we use familiar voices to participate – giving a sense of “connecting with friends half way around the world”.

 

Flagler ARES and FPCARC – Mini Field Day (with a twist)

Apr 30

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Training, D-RATS Data, D-Star Users, HF Antennas and Operation | 1 Comment

=======  RECAP from Bill – WS1C – Flagler ARES/EC  =============

First thanks to all that came out – 14 members is excellent!
Everyone did a great job, we got 3 HF and 3 VHF stations on the air.
Second I believe we all had fun and I learned a lot and this was a great FD practice!

 

We need to improve our skills on traffic and digital modes, but the good news is we have program ideas for the next year.

We already have half a dozen working with D-Star  D-Rats, and a couple starting RMS Express.

Attached are a couple of ICS 213 tutorials – one from Bud N0IA in Volusia and one fromICS.com.

 

We need better VHF antennas under the bridge – it was quite dead.

Another thing we learned is we need to program our radios with our neighbors frequencies.

I have attached a .csv file that should import into most radio programming software with what we programmed into the Florida Hospital radio.  You can view it and edit and print with most any spreadsheet.  It has every frequency I could find of for maybe 40 or 50 miles.

 

I will share the after-action report to be sent to the SEC when we collate data from Flagler, Volusia, St. Johns and Clay.

 

Already looking at a new district wide drill after FD.  It will be large as our new district is Florida Division of Emergency Management D-3.  Nassau, Baker, Duval, Union, Bradford, Clay, St. Johns, Gilchrest, Alachua, Putnam, Flagler, Levy and Marion counties.  13 counties, I have visited 3 other ARES organizations, only 9 to go!

 

Last but not least we are conducting a membership drive, 3 new so far, but I need your help to grow and strengthen our organization.

==================   ORIGINAL Mini-Field Day ANNOUNCEMENT ===========
Subject: April 28 th exercise

Hello all,

We need as many as are able to come out for this event.

Objective: To pass formal traffic between Flagler, St. Johns and Volusia counties in ICS-213 format.  Proving we can communicate with or without internet and repeaters.  Each EC to make some test messages for other sites.

Modes:.  FM, D-Star, D-rats, RMS Express

Bands:  HF- VHF

Where:  Volusia- Debary EOC,

Where:  Flagler – Portable at Betty Stefflick park under the 100 bridge,

When:  Saturday April 28th from 1000 to 1400 local.  Flagler Setup 0900.

I have attached a basic ICS-205 Comm Plan, copied from Doug Carter’s Op. Communicate Freedom last year.
Please add what I may have missed.

Please fill out ICS-211 for each county, ICS-309 Comm. Log, ICS-217A comm.. plan and ICS-214 unit log for your group – I will prepare an after action report from these on the event for Ron, WB4GUH the SEC .

This exercise is a learning experience.   Mike KJ4FEQ has agreed to help Flagler with RMS express.  Hugo did a great job teaching 5 Flagler members how to do.  As soon as I stop acting like an EC I plan to try out.

Flagler will also be inviting some Boy Scouts and our current Technician class.

Thanks All   I am confident we can do another team project well.

73

Bill WS1C

 

 

Flagler ARES – FPCARC Mini Field Day.

Apr 26

Posted by Eddie in ARES Events, ARES Training | No Comments

Flagler ARES and FPCARC will be hosting a mini field day at the Betty Stiflick Pavilion this Saturday April 28th from 10am to 2PM. The objective of the mini field day is to pass formal traffic using the ICS 213 form between Volusia and St. John’s counties.

We will be using various modes of communications to show that we can operate with and without repeater systems. All are welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there.

The Pavilion is located just under the SR 100 bridge as you approach Flagler Beach. For more information contact Flagler EC Bill Schwartz at ws1c@arrl.net. We will also be monitoring 147.075 PL 123 with a + 600 off set.

Flagler Club Co-Awarded ARISS Contact

Apr 16

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events | No Comments

The Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club (FPCARC) in partnership with the Indian Trails Middle School in Palm Coast have been awarded an upcoming ARISS contact with astronauts on the International Space Station. While the exact date has not been set, the contact window will between July 2012 and January 2013.

..
We’ll be using two redundant stations (a NASA requirement) – the primary with computer steered, circularly polarized antennas along with a computer controlled  Icom 910H multi-band radio. The 2nd station will be an Icom 7000 with a pair of M2 Eggbeater antennas. Output power needs to be 75+ watts, with preamps on both the receivers. Nothing unusual for those used to working OSCAR satellites, so it was fun to brush-off the equipment that I already had and get it all integrated and on the test bench (dining room table) for extensive testing.. The project team has already scoped-out the school location with help from the principal and we have clear areas, regardless of the direction or elevation of the pass.

 ..
We have already had our first coordinating meeting with officials from the school as well as the School Board last week, with a conference call scheduled with NASA officials this week. The County’s S.T.E.M. Coordinator (Jose Nunez) has been appointed the Project Manager, while Mike Lee (WB6RTH) will be assisting in the project management efforts. Bob Matson, President of FPCARC is the coordination point for NASA and a whole host of School Board staff are responsible for tasks ranging from Media/Publicity, Curriculum, logistic, IT Support and Student involvement. The event will be broadcast via live streaming to all schools in the County and we are expecting video, audio and print media from the entire region spanning from Jacksonville to Orlando. We’re expecting to have over 900 people in the school gymnasium – from students, parents, teachers, staff, visitors, dignitaries and invited ham operators.

..
It is unusual for an ARISS contact to be awarded to such a small school program, but NASA is very interested int he Cadet program, as well as the other activities we’ve been doing for kids education and was excited to award the ARISS contact to Indian Trails.

..

More details to be published as they become available.

..
In the meantime, attached is the PowerPoint presentation that we gave to the School officials last week – enjoy..

FPCARC – ARISS Coordinating Meeting 20120411

Combined ARES Meeting

Feb 20

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Meetings - by County, ARES Training | No Comments


..
Last Saturday saw another combined Flagler/Volusia ARES meeting, along with a few members of the FPCARC group who are not also ARES members. A great turn-out, with a very large contingent from the Volusia group.

..
I shared a slide show about the Philippine Floods which occurred just prior to Christmas of 2011, as well as a presentation on P25 vs DSTAR. The presentation seems to have been well received, as we received a number of email comments after the meeting. Always good to share knowledge when ever possible.

..

North Florida SM Candidates

Jan 21

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Training | 3 Comments

There have been a number of emails flying around over the past couple of days that I have been copied on – names are not material, but the gist of the subject revolves around who might be qualified for the job versus what attributes we look for in a new Section Manager. To my understanding, Paul (KJ4G) may not run for another term – there are at least a couple of amateurs who have expressed interest in pursuing the position. I only know one of the potential candidates  - but regardless of who runs, I have begun to think about the kind of person whom I want to represent me in the North Florida Section. Of course, qualifications from a skills and experience set are important, but there are other “qualities”, attributes if you will, that I will be looking for and evaluating. As I began the thought process, I started listing those attributes and experiences in an email addressed to the folks on the original email list. As I read the email over-and-over again, I came to the conclusion that perhaps others would benefit from the dissertation, so I publish it openly here with very minor changes to protect the identity of individuals (where necessary).

..
The electoral process is serious – each of us has our own criteria, biases and preferences, so this is not meant to sway anybody’s opinion – only to share one person’s perspective.

 

..  EXCERPTED from a response to a closed-email chain – 20-January-2012

—————–

With regard to SECTION MANAGER, allow me to share some thoughts about the job and the attributes of someone I would be looking for to represent me in high office :

 

  • You have to be an EMBRACER OF CHANGE – saying that you only like 2 meters, HF and CW is just not enough nowadays. YOUR personal opinions and preferences really do not matter – you are here toPROMOTE ALL OF AMATEUR RADIO. Of course, you may not be an active participant in any or all of the digital or other modes (including satellite, spread spectrum, etc), but saying that you wouldn’t oppose something is TACIT DISAPPROVAL – that’s really not the role of a SM.
    ..
    Paul was always faulted for promoting D-STAR. As all of you know, I’m a major DSTAR proponent and invested in the technology – but Paul’s fault wasn’t that he promoted it – but rather that he was perceived to ONLY promote DSTAR (which was not true). What people failed to give him credit for was that he EMBRACED new technology – and eventually openly embraced WL2K and other digital technologies after many years of lobbying by Bud and others.
    ..
  • You have to be a FULL-TIME PUBLICIST and CHEER-LEADER – always stumping for Amateur Radio and the ARRL. Great people skills and a fearless attitude toward “getting the word out”, both internal AND EXTERNAL are hugely important.
    ..
    We, overall, do a very poor job of external communications and public relations. The new SM needs to change that – NOT by being the face, but by creating initiatives that will get amateurs involved, excited and active – regardless of the technology – then trumpeting their progress and success in an interactive, engaging medium to all members in the section.
    ..
    We have done a very poor job of getting the word out – relying on “old technologies” like driving hundreds of miles, or using the website (very infrequent changes). Today’s SM needs to be a MASTER COMMUNICATOR, using all of the latest tools, mediums and technology, like WebEx, Conference Calls, BLOGS and VIDEO to get the word out about activities, progress and accomplishments within the section.
    ..
  • You have to be a part-time COUNCELLOR – motivating the best and the brightest to take positions of responsibility, but also mentoring and lifting-up those who are down-trodden and have felt disenfranchised due to past injustices.
    ..
  • You have to be a part-time SURGEON – willing, able and skilled to cut out the “cancer” where it exists within our leadership team, as well as the rank-and-file. Nobody likes to invoke discipline, or perform organizational realignments, but the SM and all of their staff – need to be strong leaders and find the best-of-the-best to lead the organization. One bad apple can ruin the entire basket.
    ..
  • You have to be a part-time EXPLORER – sometimes with no particular destination in mind. The SM needs to instill a spirit of adventure and experimentation, of asking
    ..
    “.. what if we tried this (or that)..??”, or
    “… who might be able to do this..?”
    ..
    Trying and failing is not to be faulted –  FAILING TO TRY is much worse.
    ..
  • You have to be a full-time HEAD-HUNTER – constantly recruiting, looking for the best experience, best talent for jobs that need to be filled. The Good-ol-Boy’s network just doesn’t work for the future. There is a wealth of new talent in the section – new licensees, young licensees – these folks look at the world with different eyes – we need to harness that spirit of adventure and that fearlessness – before they find other places and other hobbies that fulfill them.
    ..
  • You have to be a full time TEAM-LEADER – focusing attention on the team, not on yourself. I believe that the SM’s legacy is built on the team that he/she puts in place – on the positive movement that they implement, on the excitement that they generate – NOT on the speeches that are delivered, or the number of hamfests attended. The PERSON of the SM is immaterial to most of us – we want to see CHANGE, EXCITEMENT and RECOGNITION for the things that the entire amateur community does in the section.
    ..

While no single person can perform all of these tests or fill of these roles with equal excellence, it will be incumbent on us as the voting membership to prioritize the experience and characteristics of the candidates based on what we perceive to be high priority items.

..

As a growing number of people line-up to run for SM (sick humor), let me share with you who I will be looking for (aside from meeting the above “qualifications”) :

..

  • Someone who has accomplished a great deal in their professional or personal life – a person who has strived to be the best-of-the-best, regardless of field (including wives and mothers, since that is arguably one of the most difficult “professions”)
    ..
  • Someone who has a long record of MENTORING others – whether in teaching one-on-one sessions, or being a prolific writer and sharing their knowledge just for the joy of sharing. Do you take people under  your (ham) wing and try to give them new experiences, make them better and groom them in the hobby..?
    ..
  • Someone who has a long record of working Public Service Events with Amateur Radio – both for the recognition that it gives to Amateur Radio, and because it provides valuable training opportunities for our teams. Net Control, passing traffic, net discipline are all highly perishable skills which need to be honed and practiced on a regular basis. Working under pressure with multiple unknowns, as is common during public service events, is extremely valuable to non-experienced amateurs.
    ..
  • Someone who has a record of “pushing the envelope” – trying new things, doing things that others said couldn’t be done. I love people who are never satisfied with things “the way they are”, versus “the way it could be” and embark to make the necessary changes. That “drive” and a sense of constant improvement is both contagious and inspiring in the amateur community.
    ..
  • Someone who talks about WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE (MISSION FOCUSED) and how they expect to tackle the challenges, versus who THEY are and what their “qualifications” might be..
    ..
  • Someone who is focused on BUILDING TEAMS, rather than kingdoms – I believe that much of the “cancer” of amateur radio is due to a perceived sense of “entitlement” by some individuals who have held appointed positions for far too long. Their focus has been on maintaining the status-quo and therefore keeping their empire in-tact, versus advancing the entire amateur community.
    ..
  • Someone who is focused on EXCELLENCE – I have become famous for coining the phrase “.. we may be called Amateur Radio Operators by the FCC, but we don’t need to be amateur-ish in the way that we conduct ourselves”. This is especially true given the new crop of licensees – we need to LIFT THEM UP and encourage them to conduct themselves professionally – it builds self-esteem, as well as positive recognition for our hobby and community.
    ..
  • Someone who DOESN’T WANT THE JOB – and has to be arm-twisted into taking it. I’m not kidding here. I question the agenda those who want a political job – one that pays nothing, that has more headaches than rewards and one where everybody is a critic. To me, those that do politically maneuvering in order to garner the position are even more questionable.
    ..

These are only my thoughts – each ARRL member will have their own evaluation criteria. Sharing my thoughts is only meant to give one person’s perspective – not to imply any other agenda.

..

best regards to all of you..

..

Mike – WB6RTH
20-Jan-2012

ARRL CHILDREN’S DAY 2012

Jan 10

Posted by Eddie in ARES Events, ARES Training | 2 Comments

A mild winter day in NE FL brought brought Boy Scouts and other youth to Hershel King Park to learn about Amateur Radio. The ARRL Children’s Day event was hosted by Flagler ARES and FPCARC and the turn out was great.

Children of all ages were able to get on the air using various modes and make contacts all over the world. The goal of the event was to foster interest in amateur radio and help the scouts complete merit badge requirements.

Both organizations are active in educating youth and hope to participate in more events like this throughout the year. The goal is to educate children and hopefully gain some new licensees.

To learn more about both organizations Please contact Flagler ARES at info@flaglerares.net and Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club at fpcarc@gmail.com

Set Up.

ARRL Children’s Day – January 8th at Hershel King Park

Dec 28

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Training, Go Kits, HF Antennas and Operation, Work Party | No Comments

The Flagler Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Organization and Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club will be Participating in the American Radio Relay League’s national Children’s Day event Sunday January 8th.  The event will be held at Hershel King Park, south of Grand Haven on Colbert Lane and will run from 12 until 3 or 4 PM. Both groups will have a number of  radios set up on different bands and Children will have a chance to talk to local amateur radio operators and have an opportunity to get on the air and talk to other stations all over the country. All ages are welcome and we encourage parents to attend as well and talk to operators to find out more about amateur radio.

For more information please contact Flagler ARES Emergency Coordinator Bill Schwartz; WS1C at ws1c@arrl.net,  Flagler Palm Coast Amateur Radio Club President Bob Matson; KA4VIV atfpcarc@gmail.com or Flagler ARES AEC-PIO Eddie Cail; KJ4LRB atkj4lrb@arrl.net and someone will reply as soon as possible.   The FPCARC web site at http://w4fpc.matsontechnologies.com/ has a lot more information on amateur radio in Flagler County and the FPARC Youth Program in particular.

Motorola Saber – SECURE feature

Dec 26

Posted by mikelee in Analog Repeaters, ARES Events, ARES Training, FEMV, Go Kits | No Comments

A very useful feature of many of the surplus Motorola Sabers, is their ability to communicate in Secure (digitally encrypted) mode. While not legal on the amateur bands, it is perfectly legal and appropriate on Mutual Aid frequencies when authorized by the local, state or Federal government agencies whom we serve (in this case, we would be operating OUTSIDE of amateur rules, as agents of the government – like in the case of the Flagler Emergency Management Volunteers).

..
Secure mode has many options, but the most common is DES or DES-XL (proprietary to Motorola). All of the VHF units that Jason and I acquired are capable of DES encryption, and we have tested them using public safety frequencies at short range for tractional communications. In fact, we have tested using Public Safety, MURS and Ham frequencies (for testing only) and can confirm that secure mode operation is viable on all the frequencies that the Saber is capable of in the VHF, wide-band spectrum (144-173Mhz).

..
You might ask – why in the world would you want to operate in Secure Mode..?? One very simple and practical reason is the transmission of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) when in the middle of an emergency or disaster situation – such as name, age and medical information. As we have all learned in the ARRL EMCOMM classes – such should not be performed on open voice channels, and not even on packet or DRATS, given that it is still “in-the-clear”, but it would be both appropriate and reasonable to transmit that information using DES Secure voice channels on appropriate Public Safety Frequencies.

..
So, how difficult is this to accomplish – actually quite simple – once you figure out the process, technique and tools. In summary, here’s what is required based on extensive research and testing by Jason W4LTL and myself:

  • Insure that you have a pair of Secure capable Sabers (or other radios, including Astro Sabers, Spectras or Astro Spectras amongst other models) and that the firmware supports the encryption functionality,
  • Insure that all of the radios have the same encryption module installed (DES or DES-XL, or DVI, or DVI-XL, etc) and that the modules are functional,
  • Insure that you have a Key Variable Loader (KVL) that is able to load to the target devices (you will need a T3011DX if you want to load to Astro Saber portables or Astro Spectra mobiles) – if you only have Sabers or System Sabers a T3020 of any model will do. The KVL’s cost anywhere from $75 to $250 on eBay, or if you’re like Jason, you could possibly pick-up 5 of them for a real steal (less than half the cost of my T3011DX..!!)
  • Create a key on the KVL – this is a multi-step process which takes about 5 minutes, once you figure out the process. Essentially it entails entering a 16 HEX digits into the KVL to establish a single key, which will be DES encrypted, then subsequently loaded into the radio. The KVL’s are capable of storing anywhere from 8-32 keys (for different systems or groups), but the Sabers are only capable of storing a single “Radio-wide” key. By contrast, Astro Sabers are capable of storing up to 16 DES keys and can automatically scan the keys to perform key-matching against a current  received signal.
  • Load the newly created DES key to the radio – this is the simplest process of all – since it only entails connecting a single cable between the KVL device and the radio – once connected, simply press the PTT (Push-to-Transfer) button and in a matter of a couple of seconds, the radio will BEEP to signify that it has received and loaded the DES Key.
  • At this point, simply disconnect the  KVL cable and the radio will go into standard operating mode. When you want to go Secure, simply flip the SecureNet toggle switch and the radio starts transmitting a digitally encoded data stream across the Analog, wide-band FM signal which can be decoded by the other radios in the network loaded with the same key.
  • The receiving radios do NOT have to have their radios set for Secure Receive, since  the Sabers automatically detect the encryption stream – as long as the encryption matches the key that is loaded in the receiving radio, it starts to decode automatically. Other radios, however, will only hear hash-noise (sounds like squelch noise), followed by a beep an the end of a transmission.
  • A couple of cautions and safeguards – if the battery is disconnected while the radio is ON, the encryption keys are automatically “DUMPED” into the bit bucket – a security feature. If the battery is removed after the Power Switch is turned OFF, the user (you) will have approximately 30-seconds to re-insert a battery into the radio (power switch can stay off) – if a battery is not inserted in the requisite time, the encryption keys are again DUMPED. This is a crude, but effective way to prevent key-hacking. Once the keys are lost, reloading is required by connecting the KVL device and following the key-reload process once again (the Astro Sabers can re-load keys Over-the-Air).

..
More tools for radio communicators – although not necessarily applicable for Ham applications, all Hams can still be useful to local, state and federal disaster efforts by being part of Emergency Management Agency groups thru their volunteer programs. For those of you interested in volunteering in the Flagler County, Florida area – please contact Frank Sanita at the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center and join the FEMV group..!!

Flagler ARES Meeting – Thursday 3-Nov at EOC

Oct 30

Posted by mikelee in ARES Events, ARES Meetings - by County, ARES Training, Flagler ARES Admin | No Comments

Flagler EC Bill Schwartz (WS1C) will be hosting the Flagler County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) meeting at the Flagler EOC on Thursday 3-November at 19:00. All area welcome and encouraged to join. You need NOT be a member of the ARRL, nor a member of any other local club or organization to attend.

..
If you need direction, please contact Bill or others on any of the local repeaters.